Providing for Consideration of H.R. Colorado Wilderness Act of Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. Removing Deadline for Ratification of Equal Rights Amendment; and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARMSTRONG. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding, and I join the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko) in urging my colleagues to defeat the previous question so we can consider H. Res. 659.

Hydraulic fracturing provides enormous benefits to the American people, including energy security, national security, economic growth, and reduced carbon emissions.

The Baaken oil patch, stretching across western North Dakota, is an essential contributor to producing 1.5 million barrels of oil per day and over 2 billion cubic feet of associated gas per day.

The United States is uniquely situated in the world economy. We are one of the very few if not the only country that is both food and energy secure. I am proud that North Dakota is a big part of that energy security.

Let us not forget that a mere 10 years ago, if Iran would have shot down a U.S. drone, seized the British ship in the Strait of Hormuz, conducted a terrorist attack on a Saudi oil facility, and shot rockets at U.S. troops in Iraq, oil would have skyrocketed to over $115 a barrel and stayed there.

Do you know what happened the day after those attacks? Oil went down $1.29.

Fracking directly employs over 2 million Americans, including 35,000 people in my home State.

In 2020, the U.S. is expected to become a net energy exporter.

In 2019, we doubled our natural gas exports.

Fracking offsets other carbon energy sources, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted was an important reason for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

With continued technological advancements like carbon capture storage and utilization, we can continue to develop these American energy reserves while decreasing carbon emissions.

Simply put, America is stronger and our enemies are weaker because of fracking. Any attempt to ban or limit fracking makes us less safe and less prosperous.

A fracking ban will do nothing to reduce carbon emissions--in fact, it will do the opposite--but it will destroy my entire State's economy and send us back to the days where we rely on OPEC to fuel our economy.

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